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Comments

Burglarized black monday (april 9), took 4 guitars,
foreign exchanges students laptop, too much to describe, everything.
even my effin speedstick!!! can't go now, but I love the music, carry on Brother. I will be with you in spirit.

The stolen Gibson SG TV Junior guitar was sold for $250 to Stage Jewelry & Loan, in Hollywood, CA. Upon seeing the news report on TV, they immediately notified The Los Angeles Police Department, who, in turn, notified the Culver City Police Department. Stage Jewelry & Loan gave The Culver City Police, the following: (1) The Gibson SG TV Junior guitar (obviously) (2) The name of the person who sold them the guitar (3) His address (4) His driver license number, which they used to get a picture of him (5) His thumbprint. The Culver City police went to the address, provided by Stage Jewelry & Loan and arrested Daryl Emmette Washington. That arrest lead DIRECTLY to the recovery of all 5 stolen guitars. Without the HONESTY of Stage Jewelry & Loan, those guitars may indeed, still be missing and long gone !!!

i agree its horrible that this happened but i bet this is what happened somebody is like hey theres tom pettys guitar i bet i could get a lot for that and since some people honestly dont care about others they just took it and didnt care what the band thought or felt im sorry that it happened and i bet it wont be easy getting them back but good luck guys i really hope you find them and keep playing awesome shows

may be now's a good time to say thank you!!! to Tom & Mike and the Heartbreakers. You guys are THE BEST, timeless... Looking forward to watching Mike's guitar documentaries - and enjoyed reading "Conversations with Tom Petty" a few months ago... thank you :)

I just heard the news and cannot believe it. I have been a fan for so many years (I will not age myself by saying how long.. he he), but am just horrified to hear that anyone would take your guitars. I know you will get them back. Thoughts and prayers are with you! Cannot wait to see you on tour!

I can only imagine the pain you guys are going through just hoping you can get your instruments back. I"m a musician too and my guitars all have their own personalities. It's like they actually have a soul. (Non musicians at this point think I'm insane, I'm sure. lol)
I'm hoping you guys get your gear back soon, but if not you're still the best!! Found out today my wife got accepted into UF. Moving to Gainesville in a few months. Live in NC now so I have braggin' rights since I can say I'm moving to Tom Petty's hometown. So if you (I know you won't, of course) need a guitar, must let me know. You can use any I have, my friend. Love you guys.

Tom and the band have done so much to shape rock in America , I personally owe it to them for all they have done to shape me . I will pledge $2500 for an even $10,000 dollars for the safe return of the gutiars. Anyone else ?? sparkylectric @ y

The band has ment so much to me over the last 30+ years , I would like to pledge another $2500 toward the return of Tom's guitars to make it an even $10,000. Anyone else ?? Tom , If you see this , thanks for all you & the band have done to shape rock in America. sparkylectric@yahoo.com

Burglarized black monday (april 9), took 4 guitars,
foreign exchanges students laptop, too much to describe, everything.
even my effin speedstick!!! can't go now, but I love the music, carry on Brother. I will be with you in spirit.

I really feel your pain, I had my Custom 78 Left-Handed Fender Stratocaster stolen from me 3 times. But I got it back each time. I reported it to the police but that was a joke. No I tracked the thieves down myself starting with the last person that saw the guitar and I let them know someone was gonna pay, either them or the person that really stole it.
This was my poor man's way of doing it, but for you I would encourage some fan help.
Make up a flyer with pictures of the guitars, serial numbers, and a toll free phone number (not everyone has a PC). Don't forget to mention the reward.
2. Put it up on this site Ask fans to print them out and post them for you and maybe organize some kind of event to encourage them. Ask them to help out by posting them in every pawnshop, music store, music venue, online and anywhere musicians might go. Make it as difficult as possible for the thieves to sell or even own the guitars as you can.
These are expensive guitars and most musicains with money won't want to own Tom Petty's stolen guitar, but will want to do the right thing. Eventually someone will try to sell them and if the buyer knows it is stolen and who it belongs to your chances of getting it back are greatly increased if they know how to contact you.
Good Luck.

The optimist in me just looks forward to the song you write about these bastards when you get the guitars back. Then you can use the recovered guitars to play the song to these pigs while they listen to their radio in their jail cell.

I am outraged to learn of the theft of your guitars and I hope they are recovered very soon. I believe they must be like old friends to you and I truly wish that it doesn't take as long for you to get your old friends back as it did Peter Frampton, for crying out loud.
I am looking forward to seeing you guys in Wichita next week and maybe you won't have to be playing those songs on substitutes by then. Take care.

This truly sux - not like last week when I got home and learned someone stole my 3-y-o grandson's tricycle from out back by the basketball hoop (which peed me off pretty mightily) -- I mean, who would do such a thing! He ended up with a new 2-wheeler he absolutely loves but these treasures can not be so easily replaced. I'm very sorry guys ~ I'm sure you know DON'T LET THE BASTARDS GET YOU DOWN! Love, Kelly

I had two guitars stolen, neither as valuable money wise as these, but non the less very valuable to me. One was a Guild 12 string older than any of my children and the other was a Beatle bass that was a Christmas gift from my wife. Unbelievable I got them both back when the thief waltzed into the local Guitar Center and tried to sell them for cash. The manager recognized them from my report and the guy was arrested. The police said that this almost NEVER happens. But I wish Tom and the guys all the luck in the world that they are recovered...I wish you the same mojo that Frampton experienced recently when he got back his LP Custom...I just hope you guys don't have to wait so long! Sparks

My son is a professional musician and I know that a musical instrument is like a part of the person, and loved like no other; with a certain sound and feel that are unique to that instrument and is uniquely preferred by that musician. Who was responsible for those instruments being locked up? I think whoever left them unsupervised should be fired!!

Just read about you guy's stolen "Baby's"....Heartbreaking I'm sure!.....hopefully you are able to recover them....
Inside job????....that's what I found out when my mint condition '67 Chevy pickup was stolen from the parking lot where I worked....took about 2 months for them to run their mouth bragging about it....found out it was a maintenance worker I worked with had a friend of his stakeout the truck and had them steal it!....I never got it back because they had already sold it to someone in another state and sold again into oblivion....I still miss my "Baby"!....it was losing a family member...so I can just imagine the loss feeling you guy's are having...much luck to you in getting guitars back...someone may leap on that reward...I know you guy's will succeed in mov'n on regardless....wish you guy's would add a show to Houston on this tour!....can't make that drive to Austin due to back-surgery...I will be there in spirit!....Keep on keeping on!!
Howlnwuf in Texas

TP and the HB would probably make any instrument sound good, these are tools of the trade, their babies, with their blood, sweat and tears on them. I'll add to the reward, just let me know who and where to send the $. In the meantime, i've got 2 Ricky's (6&12),4 Gibsons, a Strat and 2 PRS's if they want to borrow any of them.

unfortunately this is happening more and more with the state our economy is in. this was probably not an inside job, but professionals. we have had several professional crime rings in houston as of lately. you never know when and where they will strike, but they're doing it. seems to have spread across our country. when will it end? i feel bad for the boys, but glad that they were not harmed and thankful thats all the thieves got! they wont be getting anymore!

I'm sorry for the band, but I guess the guitars will return since those folks just stole them for the money the can get now. They are not able to sell them anyway. Who would buy them instead of just telling the police about the offer. Jimmy Page lost his black Les Paul back in the sixties. He never got it back. But I'm poitive now. Even famous paintings got returned recently, because nobody can really keep them and enjoy owning them. See you soon on tour, Tom!

Wondering if there was any construction going on in the vacinity. I know of several robberies that took place after a nearby construction project finished. The workers watch everyone's comings and goings, then come back later for a little "bonus.' So sorry to hear and really hope they catch these scumbags!

TP & the boys do nothing but make great music that has enriched the lives of so many and this is how you repay them? As a musicain myself, I know that a guitar can become much more than just a thing you strum. It's almost like a friend or even better and I can only imagine the frustration they are going through.

Sounds like an art theft where the pieces are stolen on order, if so they're already out of the country.
But one thing...a $7500 reward? That seems very very low for the value of the guitars. What's up with that. Oh yeah, when and if they find who did it, beat the living sh** out of them.

My take is that these guitars are so unique and valuable and most people interested in these gem will be people who will be so outraged about how they were obtained that either they or someone they know will drop dime on the low lives who stole them and they will be eventually ratted on, recovered, uncovered...or returned. They will be difficult to sell, people will readily identify them, and it is basically bad mojo.
So unless the culprits wanna squirrel them away,and live with their paranoia, or fish out some wealthy collector without a soul who wants the karma of owning the stolen guitars from one of the most awesome rock and roll band in America for some sick reason...it's fair to say that the odds are this opportunist might just get cold feet and give up the guitars. Keep the faith. You guys are on my bucket list. I am considering driving to Georgia just to hear you play and I live in Virginia. Don't let this break your hearts! Suki aoyama@swva.net